Green Building Initiatives

Craig & Heidt has fully embraced the green building principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. A few examples of this concept are as follows:

To the greatest extent possible, we strive to recycle and re-use the existing materials on our project sites. Old asphalt and gravel pavements can be recycled in place by pulverizing with a Bomag type recycler machine. This material can then be used for base material, backfill, shoulder material, etc.

We strive to reduce or eliminate landfill disposal of site materials. Scrap concrete and asphalt are hauled to a recycling facility where they are then crushed, reprocessed and marketed for base material, rip-rap, coverstone, etc. Scrap metal products are delivered to metal recycling facilities. Topsoil can be stockpiled on site and replaced later. Brush and trees can often be mulched on site and spread for ground cover.

The use of water based paint for pavement markings.

A recent addition to our green building practice is the use of warm mix asphalt (WMA) for paving. The basic concept is that the asphalt mixture can be produced at a temperature about 60 degrees Fahrenheit less than previous conventional mixtures. This results in numerous advantages for the WMA: a significant reduction in emissions and fuel cost during production, zero emissions at the placement site, improved working condition for the placement crew, and improved cold weather workability.

The green building concepts of reuse and recycle are not new to Craig & Heidt. We have been recycling old, worn out pavement materials since the early 1980’s. The company has successfully completed hundreds of such projects before the green building movement was in vogue. The recycling concepts employed by Craig & Heidt have resulted in substantial construction cost savings to our clients as well as creating a positive impact on the environment.